DRUNKEN PRANK

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 651, 1 May 1929, Page 11

DRUNKEN PRANK

MEN’S VISIT TO HOTEL STORE BURGLARY CHARGE DISMISSED (From Our Own Correspondent) WAIHI, Tuesday. Charged with having broken and entered the storeroom of the Bob Boy Hotel with intent to commit a crime, Charles Henry Bennie, 28, and Raymond Albert Hales, 23, appeared in the Police Court before Messrs. H. M. D. Haszard and J. Murray, J.P.’s. Mr. J. B. Beeche, for both accused, claimed that it would be necessary for the police to prove guilty intent before the case could be sent to a jury. Bennie’s case was taken first and the evidence showed that he had had a considerable amount of drink during tho afternoon of Saturday and had been warned by Constable Himmer to go home. Bennie admitted that he was under the influence of drink at the time and had only a very vague recollection of the events mentioned in the charge. He remembered having forced the door of the store room, but could not remember having moved any of the cases of beer stored there. A taxi driver stated that he. had been asked by Hales to drive round to the back of the hotel to take a man home, and Hales himself stated that he saw Bennie in a drunken state on tho footpath and had brought the taxi round to assist him home. In dismissing the case the Bench said that the police were quite justified in taking action, but it seemed that the case was not strong enough to put before a jury, as it was more of a drunken prank than anything else. On the application of Sergeant Calw ill the case against Hales was withdrawn. Bennie pleaded guilty to having wilfully damaged a lock valued at 15s and was fined 5s and ordered to make good the damage. He also consented to the issuing of a prohibition order against himself.